Musical instrument



(No Model.)

0. W. ANDERSON & J. ANDERSON.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. Patented Aug. 4, 1891.

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Q/LC/v 5665. II? Men U01 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL ANDERSON AND JOSEPH ANDERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,143, dated August4, 1891.

Application filed February '7, 1891- Serial No. 380,586. (No model.)

To all whom) it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CARL W. ANDERsoN and JOSEPH ANDERSON, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMusical Instruments, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made a parthereof, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the head of amusical instrument with our invention applied thereto. Figs. 2 and 3 arerespectively a plan view and a side elevation of the winding mechanism.Fig. 4 is a transverse section of one side of the head shown in Fig. 1,but on a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the inventionunder a slight modification.

The objects of the present invention are to improve, simplify, cheapen,and lighten the heads of stringed musical instruments; and to these endsthe invention consists in certain features of novelty that areparticularly pointed out in the claims hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the wooden portion of the head,one side only of which is shown in Figs. at and 5, since both sides areof similar construction. In the under side of this portion is a deeprabbet a, which extends quite to the side of the head and is bounded byshallower rabbets a.

B is an angle-plate, the edges of which fit in the rabbets a and aresecured to the wooden portion A by screws, and C is a narrow plate,which is firmly secured to the bottom flange b of the angle-plate B byrivets D, the two plates being held at the proper distance apart bysleeves E, through which said rivets pass. Between these plates B and Care situated four (more or less) worm-wheels F, from which pins Gproject upward through perforations formed through the plate 0 andthrough the wooden portion A of the head, extending above said woodenportion far enough to enable the attachment of the strings. Gearing withthese worm-wheels are worm-screws H, the stems h of which pass outwardthrough the side flange b of the plate B and have the thumb-heads hsecured to them. The inner ends of these screws are reduced andjournaled in lugs 2, that project upward from a narrow plate I, upon theunder side of which are other lugs or teats 2', which project throughopenings in the flange b of plate B and are riveted on the under sidethereof for holding the plate I in proper position. Lightuess being adesideratum, the plates C and I are made of minimum weight, regard beinghad to strength and durability. These plates (and especially the plateI) are also made as narrow as may be, in order to expose the wormgearsto view, so that should any part get out of order the defectcan be seenwithout first taking either of the plates off. By providing one platefor retaining the worm-wheels in place and another and separate platefor retaining the worm-screws the parts may be secured together morereadily in the first instance than if these parts were all retained inplace by a single angle-plate. Furthermore, the labor of repairing isvery much lessened, as it is not necessary to free all the parts inorder to remove one of them.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the plate C bearing firmly on the tops of thelugs i and at its edge bearing firmly against the rear wall of therabbct a; but in Fig. 5 this plate and the lugs do not have contact witheach other.

In Fig. a the journals of the screws l-I pass through washers J and areriveted; but in Fig. 5 they simply pass through perforations in the lugst', which they fit snugly. In this figure the screws H bear at theiropposite ends against the front flange b of the plate B and the lugs iof the plate I, respectively. By forming these lugs of metal having someelasticity and leaving their upper ends free (entirely disconnected fromany other part) they may be made to bear with a firm but yielding forceagainst the ends of the wormscrews and cause these in turn to bear inlike manner against the flange I), thus preventing any jingling of theseparts.

Having thus described our invention, the following is what we claim asnew therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination, with the angle-plate B, the worm-wheels F, havingpins G, the wormscrews H, gearing with said wheels and having the stemsh, and means for retaining said wheels in place, of the separate narrowplate I, secured to the plate B and having the lugs 2' projectingtherefrom at proper distances apart, said worm-screws being jonrnaled insaid lugs and the opposite flange 7) of the plate B, substantially asset forth.

2. The OOll'lbillfLtiOl], with the angle-plate 13, the worm-wheels F,having pins G, the wormscrews H, gearing with said wheels and having thestems h, and means for retaining said Worm-Wheels in place, of theseparate narrow plate I, having the lugs or teats t" riveted to theplate B and having the perforated lugs 13 projecting from its top sideat proper intervals, said worm-screws being j ournaled in said lugs andthe opposite flange l) of the plate 13, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the an gle-plate 13, the Worm-Wheel F, havingpins G, the wormscrews H, gearing with said wheels and having the stemsh, and means for retaining said worm-wheels in place, of the separateplate I,

of resilient material, secured to the plate B and bearing against theends of the wormscrews, said screws being jonrnaled in said secured tothe flange b of plate B and having the perforated lugs 11 on the topside thereof, said worm-screws being j ournaled in said lugs and theopposite flange b of plate B and extending from one to the other,substantially as set forth.

CARL W. ANDERSON. JOSEPH ANDERSON,

Witnesses:

L. M. IloPKrNs, J. HALPENNY.

